Ornamented hard surface floor covering



Feb. 21, 1933. J Q CCARTHY 1,898,375

ORNAMENTED HARD SURFACE FLOOR COVERING Filed Aug. 21. 1928;

Patented Feb. 21, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT orrlca J CLARENCE MCCARTHY,OF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO ARMSTRONG CORK COMPANY, OFPITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYL- VANIA ORNAMENTEDHARD SURFACE FLOOR COVERING Application filed August 21, 1928. SerialNo. 301,015.

This invention relates to hard surface floor coverings, such as linoleumand felt base goods, and is particularly adapted for use 111 connectionwith molded inlaid linoleum although it is not confined to suchmaterial. More particularly the invention pertains to the securing ofnew ornamental efl'ects in goods of this kind.

All linoleum and hard surface floor coverings have a lustrous finish.Where the goods are perfectly flat the color and pattern effect does notstand out to good advantage under certain light eflfects. For instance,when one is looking toward the light over such a piece of linoleum, thereflection of the light from the lustrous surface destroys the patternefl'ect, some times obviating it entirely.

This has been partly overcome by forming a narrow depressed groovebetween adjacent pattern elements. This is shown for instance, in patentto Humphreys and McCarthy, Number 1,630,085. This method of decorationcauses the different pattern elements to stand out in relief as embossedsurfaces and breaks up, to some extent, the smooth surface, so that whenthe goods are viewed looking toward the light the pattern is moreconspicuous. This is particularly true where the pattern is one whichsimulates small Dutch tile floor effects and the pattern elements arerelatively small.

However, where the pattern elements are large and the surfaces of theindividual pattern elements are flat and smooth, the indentation betweenpattern elements is not suflicient to bring out to good advantage, thedecorative effect which is sought, especially where the goods are viewedin unfavorable lights.

According tothe present invention this objection to large patternelements is effectively overcome, and a decorative effect of the desirednature can be plainly brought out even when viewed under unfavorablelighting conditions. l

It has also been found that in smoothsurface goods of this nature havinga lustrous finish, antique or worn eifects, such as are desirable forsome schemes of decoration, cannot be secured at all. The presentinvention provides for the surfacing of a covering material of thisnature in such a way that antique eifects can be produced.

The invention may be readily understood by reference to the accompanyingdrawing, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of a piece of hard surfacecovering material embodying my invention; and

Figure 2 represents a transverse section through a piece of materialsuch as shown in Figure 1.

In the drawing, 2 designates a piece of covering material having apattern comprised of relatively large pattern elements 3, 4, 5 and 6.These pattern elements are represented as tiles or stones having aninterliner 7 representing a mortar joint between them. The patternelements 3 and 4 are of the same general nature, representing in theparticular pattern shown, pieces of stone, but they are of differentcolors. The pattern elements 5 are intended to represent ceramic blockswhile the pattern element 6 may be decorated to imitate slate or marble.

The pattern elements 3 and 4 have a surface embossing over substantiallytheir entire area, different portions of their areas being irregularlyembossed to difl'erent elevations. The-embossing is in the form ofpatches of irregular contour.

The pattern elements 5 are also embossed over the greater portion oftheir areas with close worm-like depressions which are in markedcontrast to the patch-like embossed areas of the pattern elements 3 and4:. The light reflecting qualities of the pattern elements 5 areentirely distinct from the light reflecting qualities of the surfaces 3and 4.

To give further contrast to the pattern, the pattern elements 6 may beperfectly smooth. A marble or slate-like appearance may be provided in amolded inlaid linoleum by inlaying pieces of sheeted linoleum with loosegranular material in the molded inlay process, as disclosed in McCarthyapplication, Serial No. 298,192, filed August 8, 1928.

The joint structure or interliner 7 is preferably pressed in to form anirregular groove between the different pattern elements.

With this arrangement the pattern ele- .ments will not only stand inrelief by reason of the depressed interliner, and will not only becontrasted by reason of their different colors, but they will alsopossess different light reflecting qualities by reason of the differentsurface characteristics of ad acent pattern elements. Therefore, whenthe material is viewed, even in unfavorable light, the pattern willstand out and the desired decorative effect be secured.. The patternelements are preferably of relatively large area, as compared with theusual tile patterns in floor coverings, but by reason of the embossingover the surface of the pattern elements, the lustrous surface of thematerial will not conceal the pattern effect.

This eflect is further enhanced by the contrast obtained throu h the useof some smooth attern elements an by the contrast secured 1n thedifferent texture of the embossing in some of the adjacent patternelements.

- Linoleum and hard surface coverings have heretofore been characterizedby the provision of as smooth a surface as possible. The presentinvention constitutes a radical de- Earture from the established ideasregarding oor coverings of this nature. Heretofore they have been madeas smooth as possible except for the embossed interliner in order tofacilitate the cleaning of the material.

In a floor covering made in accordance with the present invention, theembossing over the surfaces of the pattern elements provides irregularreceptacles for collecting enough dirt to cause an irregulardiscoloration of the material so that it assumes a genuinely antiqueappearance shortly after being laid.

It is customary for all linoleum and floor coverings to be given a waxor lacquer finish so that the material has a high polish. The present te of decoration permits the use of wax or acquer to give a high polish,and

et the embossin destroys the sheen caused y reflecting light, therebymaking certain pattern elements stand out, and bringing out the coloreven when the material is viewed in a strong and unfavorable light. Alinoleum or covering material of unique and highly ornamental appearanceis secured which is in marked variance to the smooth coveringsheretofore employed.

.Incidentall the material, even when it is highly waxe offers a moresecure footing to the person walking thereover by reason of the surfaceirregularity than the smooth surface heretofore commonly employed onfloor coverings.

While I have described my invention in connection with a particularpattern, it will be understood that the invention is not confined to theparticular pattern efi'ects shown and that it may be otherwise embodied.While the term linoleum is generally appl ed to a composition containinglinseed having a pattern thereon comprised of a plurality of patternelements of contrasting color, different elements having difierent typesof surface embossing thereon over substantially the entire area thereof,other pattern elements being smooth.

3. A hard surface flexible floor covering havin a pattern thereoncomprised of a plurahty of pattern elements of contrasting color,different elements having diflerent types of surface embossing thereonover substantially the entire area thereof, said pattern elements beingseparated by a depression which is of a color contrasting with the colorof the attern elements.

' 4. A har surface flexible floor covering material having a patterncomprised of a plurality of differently colored pattern elements, atleast some of the pattern elements havin their surface characteristicaltered by em ossing substantially over the entire surface thereof, theembossing in some pattern elements being of a different texture from theembossing in other pattern elements.

5. A hard surface flexible floor covering material having a patterncomprised of a plurality of differently colored pattern elements, atleast some of the pattern elements having their surface characteristicaltered by embossing substantially over the entire surface thereof theembossing in some pattern elements being of a different texture from theembossing in other pattern elements, all of the pattern elements havinga depressed interliner therebetween.

6. A flexible hard surface floor covering having'a pattern adapted to beclearly discernible under unfavorable light conditions,

comprised of a plurality of pattern elements pattern elements beingdifierent from the nature of the embossing on other pattern ele-'-ments.

8. A flexible hard surface floor covering having a pattern adapted to beclearly discernible under unfavorable light conditions,

comprised of a plurality of pattern elements of different colors, thesurfaces of various pattern elements being variously embossed oversubstantially their entire area, the nature of the embossing on some ofthe pattern elements being diflerent from the nature of the embossingon. other pattern elements, some of the other pattern elements havingsmooth unembossed surfaces.

9. An ornamental hard surface flexible floor covering in which antiqueeffects can be reproduced with short usage, comprising a sheet of floorcovering material having a pattern thereon formed of a plurality ofoddly shaped pattern elements of relatively large area, said patternelements being connected by a depressed interliner contrasting in colorwiththe color of the pattern elements, some of said pattern elementsbeing v difi'erently colored from other pattern elements, some .of thepattern elements having embossing over substantially the entire surfacethereof, the embossing on some pattern elements being of a differentcharacter than embossing on other pattern elements, the depressedinterliner serving to make the pattern elements stand out in reliefand-the embossed surfaces of the pattern elements serv ing to alter thelight reflectingqualities of the relatively large areas of the patternelements, the embossing presenting small irregularities adapted becomediscolored with a I short usage. y v

10. As a new article of manufacture,

molded inlaid linoleum comprising a backing having different inlayslying thereover, one mlay'having its surface characteristics altered byembossing its surface in one de-" sign, and another of said inlayshaving its surface embossed in another design.

11. A flexible hard surface floor covering material having a patterncomprised of a, l plurality of pattern elements of contrast-' ing color,said pattern elements being connected by a depressed interlinercontrasting in color with the color of the pattern 'elements, some ofthepattern elements havin portions of their area irregularly embosse theembossing on some of the pattern elements being of a contour differentthan the embossing on other attern elements, the embossed surfaces of te pattern elements serving to alter the light reflecting qualities ofthe pattern elements. Y 4

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

J CLARENCE MoCARTHY.

